🔗 Share this article

Aziz Ansari's directorial debut, the fantasy film from actor the director, is facing challenges in theaters. Many factors may account for its reception: Its generic name fails to express its film's unique charm. Its screenplay is often preachy and heavy-handed regarding the messages. The acting are flat and staged, like the actors are reciting dialogue directly from a script. Moreover, the film comes at a time of financial anxiety and disparity, which could make audiences not very open to a narrative that implies rich people enjoy all the advantages while those in need possess heart.

However, here's where the movie stands out: The film is unique, daring, imaginative, frequently humorous, and certainly timely. And, it offers an unexpectedly enjoyable Keanu Reeves character-driven movie.

Reeves as an Angel: A Familiar Portrayal

I have not considered Keanu Reeves a good actor. The actor's monotonal delivery and persistent look of slight perturbation have consistently seemed one-note, regardless of the broad variety of characters he has played over the past four decades years. Smart directors have placed Reeves in roles where that stoic nature fits perfectly, from his early work to the sci-fi classic to John Wick. But almost all of these roles required Reeves to seem tough, distant, or removed.

In the film, Reeves plays an angel, a minor guardian celestial being tasked with looking after people that use their phones while behind the wheel. The character's whole job involves sitting in their vehicles and lightly touching the drivers' shoulders as they are about to crash, warning them in order that the driver brake in time. But, while standing overlooking his domain, looking down on humanity similar to a version of a celestial figure in the director's classic movie the angel story, Gabriel gets ambitious. He wants to become an exceptional guardian and rescuer of wayward individuals.

The Unexpected Turn: Keanu Playing a Human

So, he reveals himself to struggling handyman a character (portrayed by Aziz Ansari), who's residing in his car and cursing his situation. Gabriel then swaps the man with the life of extremely wealthy tech mogul Jeff (played by the comedian). The idea of the exercise is for the character would realize the wealthy man's life comes with major drawbacks, and thankfully go back to his original life, similar to a character in It's a Wonderful Life.

Issue was, Arj immediately realizes that Jeff's issues (boring meetings, a pricey heating invoice) are minor and easily solved with wealth. Arj also sees that becoming affluent opens up endless opportunities for self-indulgent enjoyment. The character shows zero interest in going back to his own situation, and Gabriel is unable to compel Arj to go back. Subsequently, more bad news arrives: Because of overstepping his mandate and messing with the balance of the world, the character is fired as an angel role, and turned to a mortal.

The Discovery: The Actor Smiles

I was never persuaded by the actor as an angel with grand dreams and a burning wish to effect change. Reeves delivers the same vaguely constipated performance he's been offering for at least the last 3 ten-year periods. Viewing Reeves in the role of angel that has recently become mortal for the first time, however, was a blast, due to something that really surprised viewers at first: This is an element different for Reeves. Or perhaps to be precise, an aspect from the past.

Soon into the character's baffling career as a human, clinging to Jeff (whom the angel had swapped into the handyman's precarious existence and underemployed status), the character starts hesitantly trying out human experiences such as eating and swallowing food. Then the actor smiles. Authentically, cautiously, happily smiles. (This is far more believable than his smile shown in the promotional image, which looks artificially added.)

Why This Grin Is Significant

The moment truly surprised me to recognize just how surprising and refreshing the smile felt. At what point did we last audiences observed the actor grin in a movie where he was not expressing ill will, sarcasm, or bitterness? He probably attempts it at some point in the recent ill-conceived Bill & Ted Face the Music, but I am not going to returning to the mess to confirm. The actor has been typecast with serious, murderous, introspective, or simply serious characters for so long that merely seeing him grin felt like seeing an entirely new performer.

As the story progresses, Gabriel ends up having to take a dishwashing job, which doesn't pay enough to live on, and he begins smoking heavily due to disappointment. Simply the sight of the actor in a disposable plastic restaurant hat, his recent signature locks tied in an unglamorous ponytail, slouching on a wall and smoking a cigarette, proves worth watching. His dishwasher attire completely changes his face and posture: Unexpectedly, the lean, suited physical powerhouse of the John Wick films is awkward, ordinary, and a lot more relatable.

The Pleasure of Viewing Reeves Relax

Good Fortune isn't always enjoyable to view, especially when the director (who additionally wrote the screenplay) must find believable explanations for {Ar